permutates | 01st transformation . video . locks for erik & charles

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01st transformation . video . locks for erik & charles

[ She greets the barge with a smile. Her appearance is 'normal' - normal for a human. No blue skin or yellow eyes in sight. ]

Hi. [ And a little wave. She regrets it immediately. That's kind of embarrassing, isn't it? And not something that she should be doing, because she's here for a purpose. ] I'm Raven.

I heard a few of my friends were here, so I thought I'd come… help. I'm a warden.

And I'm here because I really believe that even if you're trapped, you still should have a chance to figure out who you are. I think that's important.

[ locked to Erik ]

Well, you thought I was crazy for trying, but I found you.

[ locked to Charles ]

[ She considered her approach to this for a long time. There are a lot of things that they should probably say to each other, and she's supposed to be responsible here. She can't just avoid him, as much as she wants to, while she gets her head together. ]

You should know that I'm here.

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[When Raven didn't reply before, Alex knew it was time to take a step back. And he tried - went to the CES, stayed with Ben for a while, tried not to think. But regardless of his personal feelings, he'd intended to tell Raven about Darwin. She deserves to know.]

[He's subdued when he contacts her again. Tired. Not angry anymore, or at least burying it well.]

Darwin's alive. Just. So you know.

[ A a complicated run of expressions chases itself across her face, and her mouth opens, and it's like a moment driving on an uneven road, where everything is running fine but suddenly and abruptly the road drops out from underneath you and there's that light, panick-y falling feeling in your stomach and then thud the wheels grind against the pavement and the world shockingly and violently reasserts itself.

She'd always thought bursting into tears was an exaggeration, but this is like that. Something bursting inside her, and her hand claps over her mouth and she starts to cry. ]

[Which was really not the plan at all, and there's a moment of horrific panic - not that long ago she was yelling at him, and now she's crying at him, why is this happening -]

[He can't decide if he's thrilled there not in the same room or upset about it. Instead of actually doing anything comforting, he looks away, red around the ears and giving her a little privacy.]

My first deal was for him. I went back and checked. I talked to him and everything. He's alive, he's okay. He's at the mansion and he's happy.

I - I have pictures and things. I don't know if that - helps.

I'd like to see.

[ The words are hard to force out, because there are sobs, threatening. Ugly sobs, but she bites them back, breathes as evenly as possible.

It's not because she doesn't believe him. Just because she wants to see. ]

[He understands.]

[He also assumes that she doesn't want to be near him right now. Or maybe hopes it; he doesn't think he could be in the same room with her without a fight right now. So he puts a hand up - wait a second - and crosses the room, pulling pictures down off the walls.]

[When he comes back, he holds them up one by one: all clumsy pictures, taken by excited, tearful boys with no real understanding of what was happening, other than that it was good. One of Darwin, Sean, and Hank; one of Darwin and Alex (Alex looking baffled but proud, with his arm around Darwin's shoulders as though maybe he'll fall away into nothingness if Alex lets go). The last two are of Darwin alone, in the kitchen and outside with a football. He's smiling in both, one of those blinding Darwin smiles that made Alex feel safe in the first place.]

[In the end, he puts the pictures down and breathes out, slow and careful.]

I'll make you copies. If you want.

[ They're perfect. Raven doesn't think she's ever seen anything more perfect, and it makes the angry hatred in her chest back down, if only for a little bit.

She sniffs and rubs at her nose, and nods. ]

Yes. I would.

Okay. I'll do that tomorrow.

[This is important. Oliver can hold his manpain while he makes copies, damn it.]

[Alex goes to turn off the feed, and then hesitates. There was one other thing.]

Don't worry about Ben. He's a friend. He - does that sometimes.

[ oh yeah what the hell was that ]

What did he want?

I'm not totally sure. I'd say ask him, but I guess he's done talking for now.

He might've been worried.

[ She sniffs again, and wipes her hand across her nose. She's managed to pull the tears back again. Patch whatever it was that burst. She half-wishes he'd just come over, so they could hug and stop all of this talking. ]

About you?

I don't know. Maybe.

Or else he was trying to make a point I'm too dumb to get. That happens sometimes.

I bet.

[ With a forced smile. She's trying to joke, to rib at him a little. But it hits a little too close to home for her too, because how often did Charles make some remark about genetics that she didn't understand? How much smarter than her was he? ]

[The flicker of a smile. Not much, but it's there, and he means it, and for a moment he's purely glad of her presence, not resentful.]

[It doesn't last.]

Anyway. I just wanted you to know. He wasn't trying to freak you out. That's just how he is.

Thanks.

- For telling me, too. [ About Darwin. ]

You don't have to thank me. You have a right to know. You were his friend too.

You're angry because of Charles.

I didn't know he was so badly hurt.

[You didn't stay you find out either, he thinks, but just shakes his head.]

Not talking about that now.

Alex...

[ She wants to talk about it. To someone. ]

No. I don't want to fight with you anymore.

I don't want to fight about it.

[ She's sniffing again. She hasn't cried this much in - she doesn't remember. Someone turned the tears to 'on' and she can't turn it back off again. ]

There's nothing to talk about.

[She wasn't there. There's nothing to talk about.]

I don't want to talk either.

[ Because that'll turn into an argument. She doesn't understand why Charles let them go, pushed them away, even, if he needed them. ]

Then what the hell do you want, Raven?

[ She shakes her head. Because she doesn't have an answer.

He doesn't want to be near her. It means she can't need him. ]

Nothing.

[He just stares at her, uncomprehending. How could she need him? Any of them? She left.]

[Finally, he just shrugs, a defeated gesture, and gives up. Then cuts the feed.]

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01st transformation . video . locks for erik & charles

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